Shaping the world by watershed

John Lavey, a land use planner at the Sonoran Institute, designed this map that divvies up the country by its watersheds. The idea is to use water more efficiently while minimizing conflicts over its use.

Click map for larger view.

He gerrymandered state boundaries by Hydrologic Unit Codes, keeping capitals and national borders intact.

Not a bad idea.

Here’s a better one: Instead of separating the watersheds of the Great Lakes, let’s create a single state consisting of the entire drainage basin.

That’s a division consistent with Echo’s readership – and one with significant political clout.